A $1.5 million grant from the federal Bureau of Reclamation will help Kennewick Irrigation District in its efforts to line earthen canals.

The grant from the bureau’s Water Smart Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program will help pay for the nearly $7 million project KID began to improve canal efficiency and safety.

The canal lining project is also being paid for using the $53.09 per account capital charge KID began assessing in 2007.

KID plans to line nearly 15 miles of existing earthen canals over three years.

“This grant award is a major breakthrough for KID’s modernization and water conservation efforts,” said KID Board president Gene Huffman in a statement. “It was several years in the making and represents a major step forward.”
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